


Do you think about me too?

by babydontstopcomecomeon



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Non AU, Pining, Slow Burn, basically follows canon timeline, i dont know how to describe it but, i use lyrics for inspiration a lot, non!au, taeten - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-07-28 06:54:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16236491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babydontstopcomecomeon/pseuds/babydontstopcomecomeon
Summary: Life is hard for Taeyong already. It somehow becomes harder when Ten comes back from his hiatus.





	1. Welcome

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, this has been a draft since like May I think. I did not want to post it until I was done with a few chapters but I thought maybe I'd get motivated to write more if I started posting it :/
> 
> Follows canon timeline from pre nct 2018 to present day. I take inspiration from real events as much as I can and go from there. I might not include everyyything or as accurately, I'll try my best. 
> 
> Rated M for further chapters, maybe I'll warn y'all at the beginning of the chapter.
> 
> Comments are always welcome, since this is based on real events it'd be nice if you guys had ideas too.
> 
> Nyways im just so fucking in love w taeten enjoy this :( 
> 
> Unbeta'd
> 
> reference for this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80BlyAk6Cj0

Taeyong has always been a shy kid. He was shy but the more he spent time with a person, easier things became. Now he knew his members inside out, some of them better than he knew himself. But some of them still kept him on edge, unpredictable meant trouble and Taeyong was scared of trouble.

It made him nervous. Controlling things, controlling himself was what kept him going. Sometimes controlling everything meant never letting go of control, and it was like a distant daydream. 

Some of the members were like that, too. Free of worry, no second thoughts, no over thinking. Saying whatever they wanted to anywhere, doing whatever they wanted…with whomever.

So Taeyong thought and thought as if thinking got him anywhere. Even in his own mind he couldnt let go of control. Even in his own mind there were territories he wasn’t allowed to visit. Right now, it was like that.

“You are awfully deep in thought,” the makeup artist said. 

Taeyong got startled first, and then flashed his signature smile, “I’m just thinking about the comeback,” he lied. Ok, half lied. 

One of the reasons why he was lost in his mind lately was the comeback. And what the comeback meant. It was a lot of pressure on him, there were expectations from him and from the group and he felt the weight of it all on his shoulders.

The comeback also brought Ten back.

Ten.

He glanced towards his left to see him on another makeup chair, getting his finishing touches. He was telling the makeup artist a funny story, barely managing to actually do it from laughing too much.

Ten had such a pleasing face to look at. Even when he was not smiling, he had beautifully drawn eyes and a perfect nose. Taeyong was envious of his looks. And when he smiled…like right now. Taeyong usually could not look at him when he was smiling.

“Ten, you’re up,” the manager said and Ten stood up from his chair, almost stumbling.

“Hahahha I almost fell!” Taeyong shook his head and looked down at his lap. So silly.

A few moments later his makeup was also done so he walked towards the studio to wait for his turn.

Ten was still getting his part shot. 

Taeyong sat next to Winwin and Johnny who were also waiting there. 

“Of course Ten has the shot with the kitty hahah,” Johnny said. Taeyong heard him, but he didn’t say anything. He was too busy staring. Ten was in a black suit, with black hair, holding a kitty. 

“Yes, good. I love it,” the photographer was showering him with praise and Ten enjoyed it too, smirking between shots, knowing he looked good.

“Dude, you heard me?” Johnny said, poking his knee. 

“Huh?” Taeyong turned to him. “I said do you know if we can go back to the dorms when we’re done?” he repeated.

Taeyong mumbled yes to him, and watched as Johnny gave him a weird look and then his gaze levelled to his hands. Taeyong followed his eyes down and noticed that he was making fists, so hard so that his nails were digging into his palm.

“You ok?” Taeyong said yes. And then walked up and stood on he corner of the set to take a closer look. To see.  
Ten was lying on his back with the cat on top of him. Taeyong always thought Ten resembled a cat. Like everyone else and the fans did. 

It’s been a couple of months since he has come back to Korea. Everyone had missed him. It’s been too long since he was gone. Things were too busy, their schedules were too busy, so everything sped by too fast.

But Taeyong still couldnt forget the day he came back. He has been anticipating his return the whole week. He’s been restless and nervous for no reason, but that was how Taeyong usually functioned.

So when Ten walked back into the dorms, suitcase in hand, still the same blinding smile on his face, Taeyong noticed. He hasn’t been able to not notice him ever since.

“Taeyong you are next” 

Hearing his name helped him come out of his thoughts. 

Then Ten stood up, bowed to the photographers and turned to Taeyong with a smile. Fuck.

Ten gave him a once over and then said “I like it” 

Taeyong froze. Stopped fidgeting. That made Ten laugh, and then he dragged his thumb down his own bottom lip, meaning Taeyon’s lip ring. 

“Oh,” Taeyong was blushing. He was definitely red. He wished his hair wasn’t styled so he could shake it in front of his eyes and hide. So he looked down and stepped towards the set.

Things were definitely different now. Last time they were together everyone was a lot more immature, young. Ten was usually with Johnny. Taeyong was a lot more introverted. Things were different then, and different now.

They have never been that close, the two of them. There was that air of unease between them, usually because of Taeyong’s own shyness. But Taeyong was starting to open up more, trying to connect and bond with his members more now.

But still, on their way back to the dorms Taeyong asked Winwin to switch cars with him so he would not end up in the same one as Ten. There was no real reason why, really.


	2. Like Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi hello
> 
> reading this again to edit was..sfgfd like i didnt have to go in that hard but i hope y'all like it!!!
> 
> And i want to say THANK YOU to everyone who left comments or kudos on the previous chapter honestly reading your comments makes my day :( <3
> 
> reference for the airport BEST FRIENDS !! moment lol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHatKaE0-ZQ
> 
> and the title is from BDS obviously (Like magic, I felt each hundredth of a second)

 

 

 

When they got the news about the comeback Taeyong was confused. 

He has been working on some songs and writing his rap parts, but he honestly had no idea which members would end up in which songs.

But when he saw the sheet for the first comeback song, Boss, without Ten’s name in it, he was lost. It was NCT U, and Ten was now back. Why wasn’t he in the song? There were new members and new distributions, sure, but NCT U was Ten, it would not feel right without him.

Just thinking about the 7th sense era, the excitement of finally debuting, and everything it meant to him. NCT U was Ten. Those days of being near Ten all the time, which was the only member who truly made him nervous, watching him dance like he did, looking up to him and trying so hard to meet his standards…Those days were really special. And NCT U was special in his heart too. How could they take that away from him?

But Taeyong knew better than to make a fuss and step out of line so he did not say anything. They were all so busy with recording Boss and Yestoday that he did not even get to see Ten that much. 

Sometimes at night he would come back late from the studio, just trying to sound out the rap right, working past 2 am. And some nights if he dragged along the other members to practice with him, he would bump into Ten leaving Jaehyun and Johhny’s room.

Like tonight.

“Oh, you guys are back,” Ten said, closing the door quietly. Taeyong just nodded, distracted by Ten. In front of him. He was wearing a black tank top and sweats. His hair was disheveled. He was soft. So soft.

Ten must have noticed his eyes measuring him up as he said “What is it?” laughing. 

Taeyong just shook his head, looking down. He was unable to form actual words tonight for some reason.

“Well good night then, I’m going back to my dorm,” Ten said and gave Taeyong’s arm a little squeeze as he walked by. Taeyong’s hand flew up to the spot as soon as Ten’s hand left his skin. 

 

And asking him about the comeback was forgotten. Until a couple of weeks later, after he was practicing the Boss choreography, the manager walked into his room. 

“Taeyong, come to the meeting room in 5”  
“Ok hyung,” Taeyong said and quickly changed out of his sweaty tshirt.

 

When he was going down the stairs to the meeting room, he noticed someone else a flight down. It was Ten.

“Ten!”

“Oh! Hyung,” he stopped and Taeyong caught up quickly.

“Are you going to the meeting room as well?” Taeyong asked, out of breath.

Ten gave him one his blinding smiles again “You really wanna know?”

Taeyong averted his eyes, “Oh, come on.”

“Ok ok, yes I am. Aren’t all the members going?”

“No…Taeil hyung was also in the room when the manager came, and Mark is practising with Dream right now.”

Ten just shrugged and started running down the stairs, “Catch me if you can!!!”

“Ten! Wait” But he just kept skipping down the stairs, laughing like a kid and yelling that Taeyong was getting old.

When Taeyong finally caught up, again, they were in front of the meeting room. Both breathing heavily, and Ten still all giggles and laughs. Taeyong lightly pushed his shoulder to stop him, but he was smiling despite himself.

 

“Great you are both here, come in,” the manager said and let them in.

Before anyone said anything, or asked questions, they played the demo. It was Haechan’s voice, and god knows when it was recorded. 

One part of it was just whisper singing, and the actual chorus was a stronger voice. The beat was lazy and got progressively faster, it was mysterious, addicting. The whispering was what really set the song apart. They had layered Haechan’s voice with adlibs and it all sounded way too good.

“We want you two in this song.The whole concept is planned out. Taeyong you can write your rap parts, but it needs to be fast.”

Taeyong slightly looked to his left, and saw Ten smiling really big across the table. 

Taeyong could not catch up himself, he was too excited about the song, was already planning the lyrics. But Ten. Just the two of them?

“We need to start recording in two days so that we can start the dance practice and then leave in time for Ukraine for the music video,”

“Sounds amazing, let’s do it,” Ten said.

“Yes, I love the song,” Taeyong added. He was still unsure how all of this would go, but he would work hard and not try to disappoint anyone.

 

Later that night Taeyong went to the practice room again to practice Boss, to clear his head mostly. He found that whenever he was nervous keeping busy helped. Dancing was great for that as it kept both his mind and body busy.

But the heavy beat of Boss was still not enough to make his thoughts go away. There were too many variables he could not predict and control. He has never done anything with only a member. Sure, he was the center, but he could still feel at ease when he knew his members were right beside him. Now the spotlight would be 50/50, raising the expectations even more than Taeyong thought it could. Not to mention that it was Ten. Dance God Ten. Ten he looked up to since day one. Ten he watched dance like no one else he knew. Ten he almost saw as his own idol.

And every song, every performance was the most important for him, he took all of them seriously. The members usually said he was a perfectionist, but it was what made him tick. Being Lee Taeyong was hard work and a lot of stress. He had to be perfect and he would do anything to be perfect.

The clock was nearing 2 am, and the practice room was getting cold now that his sweat had cooled down. So he grabbed his water bottle and went back to the dorms.

When he got back a couple of the members were still awake, playing video games on the couch. 

Johnny and Winwin were playing Mario Kart siting on the floor, and Ten and Jungwoo were on the couch watching. They did not notice Taeyong coming in.

Ten had his arm around Jungwoo, and the latter had his head leaned against his chest. Even though Jungwoo was taller, he had somehow made himself smaller to be cuddled like that.

Johnny poked Winwin just as he was about to pass Johnny and so made him fall to the side of the road. “Hyung!”

That made Jungwoo chuckle and look up at Ten. And Ten smiled back at him, a small smile on his lips, and the warmest look on his eyes.

Taeyong turned his head away and went into his room without saying good night.

 

-

 

That night Taeyong could not sleep. Instead he listened to the demo over and over again, trying to come up with something. Anything. He did not know what the song needed. Nothing seemed to work. Nothing came to mind.

Except the image of one particular person in his mind. And one person only.

It was someone squeezing his arm, fingers on his skin, his smile, him and Johnny laughing, him cuddling Jungwoo. Jungwoo looking up at him. Ten.

 

_Cotton. wind. blow. blouse._

 

Ten sharing his drinks with him. The image of him with a straw. Taeyong licking his own lips after taking a sip, mindlessly trying to chase the taste.

 

_Hair, flower, aroma, scent._

 

It was that one time years ago in that airport. Ten in his arms. Ten smiling up at him. Holding hands. Running away. Ten. 

 

_Cold, eyes, ice, dive._

 

Ten with that hair. That day at the photoshoot. Ten’s fingers. Ten’s thumb dragging down his lips. Ten’s lips. Ten.

 

_Touch, warm, melt, lips._

 

Baby.

 

He fell asleep after scribbling nonsense into his notebook. In a hazy moment before he dozed off, he hoped he did not actually write Ten’s name all over his notes.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> like...dude.


	3. The Rising Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy scorpio season hoes lets get it
> 
> comments are always appreciated smooch
> 
> reference for this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW7LqZkIF2E&list=RDeW7LqZkIF2E&start_radio=1

  

 

Taeyong was tired. He honestly did not know how his days went by. He woke up at 5am, went to recording, going over some parts, editing with the producers. Then he had to go to the studio to practice, and if he was lucky he could stuff his face with a sandwich in between. Then he had to write. And then he had to go to the studio again to practice until past midnight.

His days were fast, tiring, and hazy. When he was caught up in the routine, and the deadlines, time seemed to be a distant concept. When sun turned into moonlight, when light became dark, Taeyong did not know. 

Except when he was with Ten. With Ten, a second was a minute, minutes were hours. Taeyong’s sense of time shifted around Ten.

Things were still stressful. He was still nervous. On top of everything else, Baby Don’t Stop freaked him out the most.

He had almost finished all the rap parts now. He was not sure about the part that he wrote that one late night, out of his mind. But when he showed it to the producer and they tried it out with the song, they all liked it.

 

These days they were recording the song, spending a lot of time alternating in the recording room, listening to each other, harmonising, trying to complete the song. 

“It’s not just a song. There is a different feel to it, you know?” Ten said one day. 

Taeyong just nodded, half getting what he meant half not.

“It’s a duo right? Like the two of us? So when we are recording our parts…we should not just think of our lines but also I should think about yours, and you should think about mine. Do you get what I mean?”

Taeyong thought about it. It was more than a duet, more than a collaboration. It was almost like becoming one as two. Smooth and sharp. Like an eclipse. It made sense.

 

So Taeyong listened. Taeyong watched. Whereas Taeyong lived in his mind, Ten lived in his feelings. When he was singing, he would close his eyes, not even follow the lines, feeling out the melody, the beat. Dance around the studio, singing his lines with a smile. He would listen to the track over and over again, so focused so into it. 

Taeyong’s head was filled with images of Ten in his hoodies, with his ice coffees, hours and hours in the studio. How much he liked the song. How he gave it his all. How he was tiny but contained so much passion. So much power.

 

One day he was running late to the recording because the Boss practice kept him up. It was mostly because Lucas and Jungwoo could not stop laughing about Jungwoo’s part, always making a joke out of something.

So when he walked in quietly, Ten was already recording. Taeyong apologised quietly to the producer and moved towards the chair next to him. As he did he felt Ten watching him, his eyes following his movements as he sang.

“ _The narrow space between us, the rising tension_ ”

Taeyong looked away, as hard as it was. When he sat down and looked back up again, Ten had his eyes closed. 

“ _I feel so right, the farther it is, the sweeter_ ”

 The producer was talking about raising the pitch in this part, and it seemed like they were trying that out. It sounded so much better. Ten’s voice was like a breeze of fresh air, so smooth, so captivating. Taeyong thought he would get over it, hearing it every single day, but he was wrong. 

They went over the lines a couple more times and then the producer decided to get them both in to work on Taeyong’s part. The part he wrote thinking about Ten.

 

Taeyong walked in there and Ten smiled at thim, “Hi.”

“Hi” Taeyong said back, his voice cracking a little, and put the headphones on. 

“Ok so, Taeyong you are going to rap your part. And Ten you just need to keep saying Stop baby don’t stop.”

He counted down, cued the music, and Taeyong started.

 

“ _Cotton wind blow blouse_ ,” it was hard to concentrate when Ten was right next to him, singing breathily, standing so close.

As he kept going over his lines he could not help but glance to his side, and of course catching Ten already watching him. 

“ _Touch, warm, melt, lips_ ”

“ _Babyyy_ ,” 

 

Taeyong took a deep breath. The room was too small. His space was too small. Ten was too close. He was too close.  

“ _Baby I just feel so right_ ,” the top buttons of his shirt were undone.

“ _Baby I just feel so nice_ ,” the necklace around his neck too tight. His neck, up to his jawline, to his chin, Taeyong couldn’t stop staring.

“ _The perfect sign, oh baby give it to me_.”

 

They had to repeat this a couple of more times, and Taeyong wondered why it was so hard for him to just concentrate instead of…well. Get distracted all the time. 

After the producer called a 10 minute break, Taeyong was so fast to leave the room. If he stayed in there for one more moment he would either pass out from not being able to breathe, or catch on fire.


End file.
